Slappin' Glass Podcast

Air Force Head Coach Joe Crispin joins Slappin’ Glass to explore teaching soul and spontaneity, building confidence through practice constraints, and making fast play a daily habit. The trio discusses how to balance player freedom with shot selection, use offensive advantages and shorter shot clocks to change behavior, and let players help reveal the concepts that fit their team.During Start, Sub, or Sit?!, the conversation turns to creating an unkind environment for opposing offenses through run and jumps, zones, and fake traps, followed by the relationship between self awareness, confidence, and skepticism in coaching. Crispin also shares his approach to scouting, managing the flow of a game, and helping players and staff do their best work.Timestamps: 02:21 Teaching soul and spontaneity06:15 Player identity, trust, and freedom10:12 Can you, should you, and did you mean it?13:10 Sponsor messages14:16 Constraints that change offensive habits16:56 Analytics, scoring rewards, and player exceptions19:18 Embracing messy learning22:33 Making fast normal and listening to players25:08 Nudging the offense toward useful concepts28:26 Start, Sub, or Sit?! Disruptive defensive environments31:50 Personnel and defensive pressure33:34 Conceptual defense and recovering to neutral36:30 Making fake traps credible38:22 Start, Sub, or Sit?! Coaching characteristics42:42 Challenging your philosophy44:19 The head coach’s role46:12 Managing the flow of a game47:59 Scouting to disrupt the opponent’s core50:45 Best investment: faith and perspective52:24 Dan and Pat’s takeaways61:21 What the trio could explore next63:26 ClosingTo join coaches and championship winning staffs from the NBA to High School from over 70 different countries taking advantage of an SG Plus membership, visit HERE!

Dan Krikorian, Patrick Carney and Eric Fawcett discuss the next stage of the offensive rebounding conversation: strict tagging up, crashing five, and the space between them. Pat shares his early experience with a staff sending five to the glass, while Dan breaks down the details that keep aggressive rebounding connected to transition defense: approaching on the high side, staying with the tag long enough, and making the rebounder’s first dribble go east-west.The group explores freeing a strong offensive rebounder, adjusting to mismatches and scrambled defenses, and why the third player reaching the glass may matter more than adding a fourth or fifth. Eric shares observations from Division I tracking data, and Dan explains why transition numbers need to be checked against the film. The episode closes with a look at European teams and styles on the hosts’ watch lists.What you will learnHow crashing five changes the message players receive about offensive rebounding.Why low-side approaches, soft tags and early re-switches expose transition defense.How a one second press can buy time for teammates to recover.Where floor position and shot quality may justify more rebounding freedom.Why actual participation matters more than the number of players assigned to crash.How to separate transition possessions after turnovers from those after missed shots.What to watch when opponents use early screens to disrupt tags after made baskets.To join coaches and championship winning staffs from the NBA to High School from over 70 different countries taking advantage of an SG Plus membership, visit HERE!

Ross Hodge joins Slappin’ Glass to discuss defensive adaptability, teaching defensive decision making, and adjusting a no middle defense against modern basketball offenses. The trio explores how to prepare players for scramble situations, develop defensive feel, and defend the flat ball screens that challenge paint protection.During Start, Sub, or Sit?!, the trio dives into offensive player development, including rim finishing, shot selection, passing, and drawing fouls. Hodge explains how better decisions create better finishes, why footwork and spacing matter for bigs, and how to help secondary playmakers avoid situations that demand difficult passes.The trio also discusses zone offense, using step up ball screens and weak side screening to create advantages, and building practice plans that expose your offense to different defensive coverages. Hodge closes with his thoughts on investing in players, staff, and the people around your program.Time Topic  |02:28  | Ross Hodge joins the conversation | 02:49  | Defensive adaptability and playing in the gray | 05:49  | Teaching through scrambles and disadvantaged situations | 08:25  | Personnel, peel switching, and defensive feel | 12:57  | Building habits before adding freedom | 17:38  | How North Texas protected the paint and limited threes | 20:19  | Adapting no middle against middle third attacks | 23:37  | Defending flat screens and adjusting the pickup point | 26:45  | Start, Sub, or Sit?! | 27:11  | Offensive puzzles: passing, finishing, and drawing fouls | 30:12  | Guard finishing and shot selection | 33:37  | Developing a big’s base, balance, and spacing | 36:56  | Helping secondary players become better passers | 39:24  | What defensive coaches learn from watching offense | 41:22  | Ranking screening actions against zones | 44:35  | Adjusting the offense to different zones | 46:38  | Practicing against other defenses | 49:38  | Using “punch” segments early in practice | 51:24  | Foul line playmakers and driving against zones | 53:49  | Best career investment: investing in people | 55:57  | Dan and Pat’s takeawaysTo join coaches and championship winning staffs from the NBA to High School from over 70 different countries taking advantage of an SG Plus membership, visit HERE!

Brooks Savage has changed his offense several times since becoming a head coach. In this episode, the East Tennessee State coach explains how personnel, team strengths, and defensive identity shaped those decisions—and why he became more effective once he stopped trying to be different for its own sake.Savage also shares how he builds a clear team identity through standards, recruiting, and consistent language; why he prefers short, repetitive practices built around a few priorities; and how his approach to offensive rebounding has shifted from tagging up to more selective crashing. He discusses the decision to play without a traditional center, how he attacks a late-game deficit, and why coaches should use timeouts when the game calls for it instead of saving them for an imagined final moment.What You’ll LearnHow personnel and team strengths should shape an offenseWhy a program’s identity starts with standards and informs recruitingHow to build culture through repeated language and daily expectationsWhy Savage favors short, focused practices with consistent prioritiesWhat his team learned by shifting from tagging up to crashingWhy ETSU chose to play without a traditional centerHow he approaches pressing, lineups, and timeouts when trailing lateTimestamps02:42 The evolution of Savage’s offense07:54 Finding an edge through fundamentals09:59 Choosing sets and preparing for opponents12:03 How a set-heavy offense changes practice15:02 Building practice around a team’s capacity20:37 Moving from tagging up to crashing24:29 Start, Sub, or Sit: identity and standards28:58 Making culture real through language and behavior32:00 Matching team identity to the university and community33:52 Coaching players who fall below the standard36:31 Creating a comeback by changing the game40:02 Why ETSU plays without a traditional center42:49 When to use timeouts44:38 The best investment of Savage’s coaching careerTo join coaches and championship winning staffs from the NBA to High School from over 70 different countries taking advantage of an SG Plus membership, visit HERE!

Tennessee Women’s Basketball Head Coach Kim Caldwell joins the podcast to detail the connected system behind her high-possession style of play.Caldwell explains how her teams pursue a 20-shot advantage through forced turnovers, offensive rebounding, limiting their own turnovers, and getting to the foul line. She breaks down the habits that must be unlearned to play fast, how shot selection connects to floor balance, and why crashing four naturally establishes matchups for the press.She also discusses subbing for fatigue rather than mistakes, giving defenders freedom within the run-and-jump, and the danger of introducing a Plan B that contradicts the team’s identity.In Start, Sub, or Sit, Caldwell ranks communication, decision-making, and execution when players reach their physical limit. The conversation closes with her approach to full-court practices, eight-minute drills, conditioning, and choosing coaching jobs where winning is possible.Timestamps2:20 – Kim Caldwell joins the show2:34 – The goal of creating 20 more shots4:29 – Adjusting the shot-margin target by competition level5:13 – Unteaching habits and training with a 12-second clock6:33 – Defining a good shot within the system7:41 – Preferred opponent shot profile9:12 – Using defense to regain pace and momentum10:47 – Substitution patterns and playing in short bursts12:55 – Attacking teams that try to slow the game14:36 – What Caldwell tracks during timeouts16:49 – Crashing four and “building a house”18:37 – Matching up and flowing into the run-and-jump19:45 – Giving defenders freedom to err toward aggression20:26 – Conviction, adaptation, and the danger of Plan B23:04 – Protecting leads without abandoning pace25:14 – Late-game shot selection and pressure adjustments26:12 – Caldwell’s philosophy on calling timeouts28:02 – Start, Sub, or Sit: Practice tipping points30:12 – Player-to-player communication under fatigue31:51 – Keeping chaos within the right boundaries33:14 – Full-court practice and conditioning35:03 – The eight-minute drill limit36:46 – Finishing the final conversion of a drill38:19 – Building practice plans with the staff40:04 – Caldwell’s best career investment41:39 – Slappin’ Glass takeawaysTo join coaches and championship winning staffs from the NBA to High School from over 70 different countries taking advantage of an SG Plus membership, visit HERE!

UC Davis Head Coach Jim Les joins the Slappin’ Glass Podcast to discuss the daily habits behind elite performance, building trust before asking for hard truth, and creating a team environment where productive conflict can be handled quickly. Coach Les explains why urgency starts with what a staff is willing to tolerate, how written player goals can sharpen accountability, and why “the game knows” has become a central teaching idea in his program.On the tactical side, he breaks down UC Davis’s use of Princeton and chin action, the value of a dynamic catch before the pick and roll, teaching split cuts through clear order of operations, and using multiple offensive modes during a game. The conversation closes with ball-screen coverage complexity, deciding whether to fix or cover a team weakness, and the coaching investment that has kept him learning for more than two decades.Episodes Chapters02:51  The traits of elite players and teams03:22  Urgency habits and editing your life08:40  How Coach Les changed as a communicator11:17  Protecting the head coach’s voice13:40  The game knows15:47  Building a pre-practice habit system18:17  Teaching passing off the dribble19:36  Productive conflict inside a team22:27  Staff communication and alignment25:06  Investing in relationships with players28:51  "Start Sub or Sit" Princeton into pick and roll30:15  Dynamic catches and sprinting into the screen32:03  Why Princeton punishes good defensive principles34:55  Teaching split cuts and the feeder is the leader36:36  Attacking the closeout before the ball screen38:12  Using multiple offensive modes40:02  "Start Sub or Sit" changes in coaching philosophy41:41  Scaling ball-screen coverage complexity45:19  Fixing a weakness or covering it47:05  Coach Les’s best career investment49:07  Slappin’ Glass recapTo join coaches and championship winning staffs from the NBA to High School from over 70 different countries taking advantage of an SG Plus membership, visit HERE!

Siena University head coach Nevada Smith joins the Slappin’ Glass Podcast to discuss the difference between speed and pace, the details behind “25 Speed,” and how his teams work to create advantages within the first five seconds of a possession.Smith breaks down one-handed passing, finishing development, empty-side pick-and-rolls, high-slot spacing, attacking defensive absolutes, and creating “confusion zones” through guard-to-guard actions.During “Start, Sub, or Sit,” he shares his approach to offensive rebounding, reading ball flight, crashing five, training disadvantaged transition situations, and developing point guards who can commit a second defender.What You’ll Learn Why Smith separates speed from pace—and how he defines “25 Speed.”  How finishing work and one-handed passing support a faster offense.  Why high-slot spacing and empty-side pick-and-rolls create downhill attacks.  How Siena identifies and attacks defensive absolutes.  Why guard-to-guard actions create “confusion zones” against switching defenses.  How shot selection and ball-flight recognition shape offensive rebounding.  Why committing a second defender is Smith’s top point-guard skill.  How the first 36 minutes inform Siena’s offense during the final four.To join coaches and championship winning staffs from the NBA to High School from over 70 different countries taking advantage of an SG Plus membership, visit HERE!

Point Loma Head Coach Justin Downer joins the Slappin’ Glass Podcast to discuss building offensive decision trees around advantage creation, organizing offense into four connected phases, and using the “power of three” to simplify reads.Downer explains how Point Loma identifies its three best offensive leverage points, recruits primary ball handlers rather than traditional point guards, and teaches ball-screen decisions through three levels: the primary defender, the coverage, and the help behind it.In Start, Sub, or Sit, the conversation shifts to creating productive adversity, building clear feedback loops, highlighting roles, tagging up, and switching with physicality.What You’ll LearnHow Point Loma organizes offense into four phases without making the players feel restricted by the structure.  Why every offensive decision begins with identifying the advantage it is meant to create.  How the “power of three” shapes decision trees, offensive actions, and player reads.  Why Point Loma evaluates primary ball handlers through processing and decision-making rather than traditional point-guard traits.  How to teach ball-screen reads through the primary defender, the coverage, and the help behind it.  Why Downer corrects aggressively during teaching segments but avoids providing answers during competition.  How role highlighting allows bench players to retain their strengths when their minutes change.  Why tagging up, forcing left, and physical switching help Point Loma dictate the possession before the offense can create an advantage.To join coaches and championship winning staffs from the NBA to High School from over 70 different countries taking advantage of an SG Plus membership, visit HERE!

In this high-level, candid, and engaging return to the show, Los Angeles Clippers assistant coach Jeff Van Gundy joins Slappin' Glass for his third appearance. Van Gundy dives deep into what it takes to defend the NBA's best players—emphasizing the fundamentals of transition defense, rebounding, and avoiding reckless fouling. The conversation explores stunt vs. full help principles, creating physical defenses through communication, and the challenge of preparing against high-powered offenses.A special edition of “Start, Sub, or Sit” covers skill development, offensive rebounding priorities, and what Van Gundy learned moving from broadcasting back to the NBA bench.Authentic, honest, and packed with coaching wisdom, this episode is a must-listen for coaches at all levels looking to sharpen their defensive philosophies and leadership approach.Topics Include:Defending elite players with discipline and fundamentalsCommunication as a driver of physicalityThe evolving role of offensive rebounding in the NBA and other levelsHow to give appropriate and impactful feedback to playersVan Gundy’s “sniper rule” for transition defense 😂“Start, Sub, or Sit” on skill development and late-game coaching lessonsTo join coaches and championship winning staffs from the NBA to High School from over 70 different countries taking advantage of an SG Plus membership, visit HERE!

Concordia St. Paul head coach Matt Fletcher joins Slappin’ Glass to detail the guard-to-guard screening system his staff built around a roster of multiple point guards and an undersized five. Fletcher explains how “bump, tap, hit” gives screeners three answers—screen-and-roll, ghost, or hit-and-pop—while creating an empty side and forcing the defense into switch-or-stay decisions.The conversation moves into the teaching behind the system: charting each player’s screening mix, entering the first action within three seconds, and adjusting traditional deep-corner running to improve timing. Fletcher also separates playing fast from shooting fast through zero-second decisions and green, yellow, and red shots. He lays out their cutting progression from memorized responsibilities to personnel-based reads, including why two feet trigger the cut, how the helper’s chest cues movement around Barkley actions, and why late cuts are usually safer than early ones. The discussion also covers second drives, skip passes, and using the dunker spot to organize relocation.In Start, Sub, or Sit, Fletcher weighs transition defense, defensive rebounding, and defensive aggression when playing with pace, then explains why Concordia St. Paul crashes four or five and adapts pressure and ball-screen coverage to its personnel. He closes with staff alignment, developing young assistants like players, rebuilding a program around local recruiting and continuity, and the investment outside basketball that keeps coaching in perspective.What You’ll Learn How “bump, tap, hit” gives guard-to-guard screeners three different answers from the same entry.  Why Fletcher charts each player’s screening mix instead of allowing a shooter to ghost every time.  How Concordia St. Paul adjusted its corner-running rules to enter the first action within three seconds.  Where zero-second decisions fit within a green, yellow, and red shot-selection system.  Why cutting responsibilities are memorized before players begin making more personnel-based reads.  How the driver reaching two feet and the helper showing their chest trigger movement off the ball.  Why the ballhandler’s scoring tendencies change cutting timing around Barkley actions.  How a defense sitting on the cut can expose the skip pass and second drive.  Why crashing four or five can create extra possessions while limiting an opponent’s transition opportunities.  How Fletcher progressively expands the responsibilities of young assistants as their comfort and experience grow.To join coaches and championship winning staffs from the NBA to High School from over 70 different countries taking advantage of an SG Plus membership, visit HERE!